Monday, 17 December 2012

O'Farrell's Recycled Sydney Airport and Port Botany Solution

Premier O'Farrell has last week recycled age old proposals of the RMS (formally RTA) to suggest he actually has the solution to Sydney Airport and Port Botany at hand. This is a lazy government that just recycled the old Labor Government proposals and plagiarise them as if they thought about it themselves.

Of course it is important to remove bottlenecks or gridlock from around the airport and the port.

A truck layover proposed for the the Foreshore Road area is a proposal considered by the former government and not implemented.

The one way system of Bourke Road and O'Riordan Street is a 30 year old proposal that was to be implemented 25 years ago with the Port Botany Expansion that occurred then.

The widening of Mill Pond Road as been advocated by Botany Bay City Council for 30 years. Plans have been available and costed 25 years ago.

The road underpass of the rail line at General Holmes Drive cannot be implemented by the State Government as the rail line is owned by the Commonwealth. The proposal is an old one and there are major construction problems due to the gradient of the underpass.

If Premier O'Farrell really wants to address the gridlock in the Airport and Port Botany areas he needs to work with Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese for a co-ordinated solution.

The NSW Premier can't get Commonwealth support and funds by recycling 20 to 30 year old plans, pretend that he is being innovative, and expect Commonwealth funding.

About Ron Hoenig

Ron Hoenig MP is the State Member for Heffron in the NSW Parliament.
He was elected to Parliament at a by-election on the 25 August 2012.
Prior to entering Parliament he was the Mayor of the City of Botany Bay, a position he held for more than 30 years. He was, and still is regarded by many as one of the most progressive Mayors in the Sydney metropolitan region.
He is a barrister and prior to entering parliament was a Public Defender for the State of New South Wales.
Ron Hoenig was born in Sydney and raised in Eastlakes, attending Eastlakes Public School, Daceyville Public School and The J.J. Cahill Memorial High School in Mascot.